Project Summary/Abstract (Core A, Portnoy) The purpose of Core A is to ensure scientific progress by providing adequate scientific and administrative leadership to the program and provide adequate financial oversight. This will be accomplished by extensive review of scientific progress during monthly meetings of all the lab groups and smaller meetings held by subgroups. Scientific direction and research results will be subject to intense, yet constructive, criticism by investigators within the P01, and by an outside advisory board. We strongly believe that our extensive collaborative approach promoted by Core A is unique. Indeed, this program represents the nucleating group for Bay Area investigators studying intracellular pathogens and innate immunity. The Specific Aims are: 1) Management of scientific progress; 2) Establish an external advisory board to review scientific progress; and 3) Implement financial management and administrative support. To facilitate interactions among investigators, two-hour joint lab meetings will continue to be held monthly at the UCSF Mission Bay Campus. The monthly meetings consist of introductory discussions, two scientific presentations from two different labs. Scientific direction and research results will be subject to intense, constructive criticism by investigators within the P01 and by an outside advisory board chaired by Dr. Jeffrey F. Miller from UCLA. In addition to the monthly meeting, there are many opportunities for interaction. The Portnoy, Vance, and Barton labs each have a weekly lab meeting, but once a month they have a joint lab meeting called ?Trilab.? With Dr. Cox's January 1, 2016 move to UC Berkeley, we will have a monthly ?Quadlab? meeting. There are many other opportunities for trainees to speak and interact. For example, the Division of Immunology & Pathogenesis has a ?floor meeting? on Mondays at noon with 2 speakers from two different labs. The Infectious Diseases & Vaccinology Group has its seminar series on Mondays at 10 am, with most of the speakers being from local labs. Lastly, we have an annual immunology retreat at Asilomar Conference Center that is held jointly with UCSF. Core A serves as the administrative nucleus for the P01 and has been a critical element to our success.